I Knead You
by SilverLiningSheep
Summary: "We are not cuddling!" Marinette whispered loudly, almost offended that Tikki would even claim such a thing. Her mouth then clamped shut. Her kwami was right. Cuddling is exactly what they were doing.
1. Kitty Cuddles

"Ugh," Marinette stretched vocally. Her body leaned forward as the essay she had been adding to for the past hour stared back at her, seemingly mocking her.

Tikki leaned back herself as she stretched her tiny kwami legs across Marinette's essay. "You're almost done, Marinette!"

The girl nodded, grabbing the pencil once more. "I have one more paragraph left." The pencil tapped across her lips but then tumbled downwards, banging along her computer desk. Marinette rolled herself backwards before standing up. "I need a break. My brain is screaming at me to stop." A giggle escaped her lips and then was joined by a higher pitched voice.

"You deserve it, Marinette!" Tikki took flight and swirled around her chosen.

Hands were placed along her hips as Marinette stood in thought. "I think I'm going to grab a snack and then maybe a walk is required?"

Tikki nodded. "May I please have a chocolate chip cookie?" She giggled while wiggling in midair from Marinette's teasing fingers.

"Of course! Come on!" Marinette held open her purse and climbed down the stairs, making a beeline for the kitchen.

"Hi honey," Sabine greeted as her daughter hustled past. Herself and her husband were busy preparing pastries for the next day of sales. The cookie tray rested down on the counter and she removed her oven mitts. "Where are you off to in a hurry?"

Without even asking, Marinette dove for the cookies, taking care to grab an extra for her sweet toothed kwami. "I'm just going for a walk as a nice break from my essay."

"Sounds wonderful!" Sabine's smiling face shrunk as a finger pointed towards the window. "But please be careful. It's dark out now. Just go around the block."

Marinette simply nodded and placed a light kiss on her Mom's cheek. "Of course Mom! I'll be back before you know it!" Before her Mom could change her mind, Marinette took a few large steps towards the front door and without looking back, she slid through the doorway. With a click behind her, Marinette inhaled a large breath and rested her back on the door. The night air had a slightly cool feel to it that was immensely freeing. One could only be crammed inside for so long.

Tikki popped her head out of Marinette's purse and followed suit, head tilted back, sniffing the air. "It feels so nice to be outside, doesn't it?"

Marinette grinned down at her kwami. "It sure does!" She handed off one of the cookies and within seconds, a teeny bite was taken from the baked good. Marinette lightly sniffed her cookie. Her mouth watered and a larger bite was taken from it. Freshly baked cookies were the best!

The two girls walked slowly down the street. The streets were car free and the wind ceased to exist. It was the perfect night! Marinette's head peered up in relaxation but a disappointed frown appeared on her face. "Sucks there's no stars tonight."

Tikki leaned her head back too and agreed. "Look at all the clouds!"

They turned the corner of the block and Marinette jumped out of her skin. "Tikki, what was that?" Her body stiffened at the repeated cracking noise.

"Sounds like thunder," The kwami merely replied.

Marinette chewed her lip. "We better finish up this walk before we get soaked."

The two picked up speed and turned another corner. Their walk was halfway complete. A strange thumping sound emitted into the air and Marinette paused again, despite Tikki telling her to continue before it rained.

"Shh, Tikki." Her voice shook as she spun in a circle to ensure no one was coming up behind her. "There's someone following me."

Tikki's eyes widened as she ducked into the purse.

Marinette's heart thumped at the sound again. "W-Who's out there?" she cried out loud, spinning around. Her arms and legs were bent, highly resembling her Ladybug battle pose. Another gruffer sounding huff sounded like it came from behind her.

"Eeep!" she shrieked and ducked behind a wall as if to hide from her perpetrator. Her breathing was heavy now and it became harder to hide. A hand was placed over her lips to keep as quiet as possible. She stuck her head out from behind the wall, hoping to see nothing.

A familiar beep sound echoed the alley and filled her ears. Marinette's head turned upwards and to her shocked eyes, a black shadow was performing flips. Thanks to her squinting eyes, she learned that it wasn't a horrible man following her. Marinette exhaled in relief. Her eyes squinted harder in an attempt to get a better look. Just what was her partner doing?

His body spun around as his staff grew and shrunk on his command, lifting him up into the air and back down onto the rooftops. His breathing was heavy and little grunts danced in the night sky. The staff even became a temporary helicopter a few times.

A shriek escaped Marinette's lips at another thunder crackling across the sky. Chat Noir stopped his movements and searched around below him. Marinette waved to him, pretending she did not just scream due to mere thunder.

His eyes widened and with a click of his staff, he lowered himself in front of her. "Well good evening!"

"What were you doing?" Marinette placed her hands on her hips.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Chat winked. "Were you enjoying the view?"

Marinette watched his eyes travel down her body until they hit her hand. Rolling her eyes, she lifted the cookie up in front of his nose. "It's chocolate chip. Want it?"

A pout formed on his face and he gave his version of the puppydog eyes a try. "But it's bitten into."

"It's all I got," she told him. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Take it or leave it."

A small growl emitted from his stomach and he chuckled, holding out his hand. "I guess my stomach wants me to take it." It landed in his hand and he took a small bite. "Thanks Princess."

Slightly cringing from his choice of a nickname, she could only manage a small eye roll. Another crack of thunder echoed throughout the alley and to her dismay, Marinette flinched, shrinking into herself. The second she realized what she was doing, she immediately straightened her shoulders, hoping Chat Noir didn't notice. Uneasy eyes watched his expression.

"It sounds like it's going to rain soon," Chat stated. He extended his staff and stretched out his hand to her. "A girl like you shouldn't be out here in the dark."

"I'm perfectly fine, Chat Noir." Marinette didn't take his hand but instead walked out of the alley and back onto the main street.

"At least let me take you home so I know you're safe." Chat followed her, keeping his arm elongated.

Marinette waved him off. "It's okay. You continue… whatever it was you were doing." She took a few steps forward. "I've just got a few more minutes until I'm-" Her words were cut off from a wet splotch that hit her forehead. Looking upwards, a few more smacked her right in the face. She swiped them dry with her shirt's sleeve.

Chat Noir waved his hand out in front of her. "Come on, it's started raining."

Marinette stood there, considering it for a moment but found it unnecessary. The last thing she needed was his ego to be boosted from 'saving a damsel' or something equally ridiculous. "Chat Noir I'm-"

The rain's volume increased and soon the two were smothered by the drops. Marinette wiped her bangs back and they were sticking to her forehead perfectly. Before she could protest, her body was lifted in the air and she found herself being catapulted through the night sky towards her house.

Within seconds, the two landed on her balcony. Marinette instantly ran for cover under her little tarp. She waved at Chat who was still standing out in the pouring rain. "Get under here! You're getting soaked!"

Chat scoffed, swishing his soggy bangs to the side in order to see properly. "This cat is not scared of a little water."

"You're going to get sick." She shot him a dumbfounded look. "Get under here."

"Don't worry about me, Princess," he assured her. "I was heading home anyhow." He turned around and extended his staff.

"Chat Noir!"

The sound of her voice was urgent. Marinette did not want her partner to do anything stupid. For all she knew, he'd continue his gymnastics out in the pouring rain. "Please…" Her words faltered at what she was about to say. "Please... come inside. At least until the rain stops."

His ear twitched as he turned around to look at her in wonder. "You're offering me to come inside?"

"Yes" she hissed, clenching her now chilled sides in hopes he'd just cooperate before she changed her mind.

A small smile was planted on his face and his eyes softened. "I'll take you up on that offer." He approached the tarp and took up some room underneath it. "Thank you."

Marinette wiped her bangs out of her eyes again and squeezed each pigtail to remove the water weight. A small giggle escaped her mouth at the sight of the two of them. "The rain sure got us, didn't it?"

Chat chuckled and shook his hair roughly, spraying water droplets in all directions. "I'd say we were pretty _furtunate_ we're under this tarp right _meow_." He played with his bangs some more and posed like a model against the wall. "I still look _purrfect_ even with wet hair, wouldn't you agree?"

Marinette stared at him with lowered eyes and her mouth wide open in disbelief. "Did you really just use three puns at once?"

"What can I say, I'm quite the _cat_ch, wouldn't you say?" He casually crossed his legs as his back reclined along the wall.

Marinette paused for a moment, speechless. "That's it." She lifted the glass of her skylight and raised her eyebrows at him. "You're staying outside." She slid a leg through and sat down along the edge of the hole, preparing to slide down onto her bed.

"_Me-ouch!" _

Chat Noir followed her inside and landed on her bed… a little too close for Marinette's liking.

"Careful Chat Noir," she leaned away from him.

"Sorry." His hand reached up to fully close the skylight. "One can only handle so much water." He shook his hair again. "That was a water overload."

Marinette climbed down her ladder and observed the amount of water that was draining from her body and rolling all over her flooring. "I'm going to get some towels out of the closet." Without another word, she ran off.

The linen closet being out in the hall allowed her to be back in a flash. When she returned, Chat Noir was standing in the middle of her floor, leaking water.

"I didn't know where else to stand." His hand rubbed the back of his neck. "I figured soaking your bed was worse."

Marinette threw a towel at his face, playfully sticking her tongue out at him. "Much worse." The towel soaked up the water with little to no effort and with only a few pats and squeezes, Marinette's hair was no longer a sopping mess. Her clothes however, were a loss. She needed to change… but how was she supposed to do that with Chat Noir in her room? She shrugged. That's what the bathroom was for right?

"Hey Chat Noir," she began, digging through her closet for a fresh pair of pjs that covered more of her body. Every item in her wardrobe was modest but even short shorts were deemed inappropriate when your male partner was in the same vicinity. "I'm going to change in the bathroom okay?" She leaned her head over her shoulder to view his response.

His head was swallowed up by the towel that was violently moving back and forth. The movement stopped and his head popped out to look at her. "Sure. I'm still drying."

Marinette skipped to the bathroom and changed as quickly as she could. Not that she didn't trust Chat Noir but having him in her room alone sent shivers down her spine. Her wet clothes were tossed into the laundry room roughly but she skidded to a halt. Her Mom didn't know she was home yet! Marinette charged to the front of the bakery where her Mom and Dad were hard at work.

"Hey Mom," she called out. "I'm home!"

Sabine popped her head out from around the corner. "Hi honey! Thanks for letting me know." She peered out the window. "It began raining and I was worried you were out there."

Marinette chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I got caught in it a bit but I'm okay. I'm dry." She watched her Mom gently add some fresh cookies in the bakery display and knew this was a busy time for her parents. "I'm going to bed now."

"Okay dear."

Marinette was pulled into a hug and planted a kiss on her mom's cheek. She received a kiss back and then peeked her head into the kitchen for a quick kiss exchange with her Dad too. Her heart stalled when she remembered Chat Noir was up in her room ALONE. She bit her lip and gritted her teeth. What if he tried to read her diary or saw something embarrassing?

Her feet marched up the stairs faster than they ever had before. The trapdoor slammed on the wood and Marinette yanked her head up to see the trouble she was in.

Chat Noir was studying all of the photos of Adrien around her desk.

ANYTHING BUT THAT!

"Chat Noir!" she shouted in anger. Her cheeks sparked in flame as he turned around at her with an innocent expression on his face. She was not buying it. Some teasing comment was bound to come within seconds. She placed her hands on her hips. "Quit snooping in my room!"

He jumped away from the wall with his hands raised. "I wasn't!"

Marinette's face was crimson but she did her best to act like it didn't bother her. "L-Let's do something while we wait for the rain to stop." Distraction was always best in these types of situations.

Chat simply nodded in response and walked towards her.

Marinette braced herself but he had made no comment about it yet. She raised a suspicious eye at her nosy partner. It wasn't like him to stay quiet about things.

"Thanks for allowing me to stay over."

Marinette blinked twice. Did she hear him right?

"Uh… sorry, what?" She misheard him. She must have!

"Thanks for allowing me to stay over," Chat repeated. "You didn't have to. It's very kind of you." His ears twitched. "It sounds very nasty out there."

Marinette's guard lowered at his kind tone. "Oh… well that's no problem."

Chat grinned at her. "Do you have cards? Or we could watch a movie?" He gasped happily. "Or we could have a pillow fight!"

"A pillow fight?" Marinette chuckled at his silly idea. A hand was placed over her lips as she giggled loudly at his expression.

"Yeah!" He waved his arms in the air. "They always do that at sleepovers!"

"That's true," she agreed. Her heart stalled at what Chat had just said. Were they having a… sleepover? How could she have a sleepover with her partner!? A male no less! That was extremely inappropriate! She shook her head. No, they weren't having a sleepover. Chat Noir was just staying over until it stopped raining! Sighing, she rolled her shoulders back a bit. They were still bugging her from her hunching over her essay.

…

Her essay! She had completely forgotten about it!

It was too late now but at least she started it early so there were still a few more days before its due date appeared. "Why don't we do something more calm?"

Chat huffed, smirking at Marinette. "Okay, have it your way." His tone caused a tongue to stick out his way. He paused, hand on his chin.

She watched him intently, waiting for a response. What was that crazy cat thinking of now? Marinette almost feared to know the answer to that.

"Why not just watch a movie to calm down and warm up?" he suggested, pointing to her computer.

Marinette nodded her head and turned to face her computer. "Sure, sounds good to me." Her footsteps came to a stop when she realized she left her desktop screen on. Palms began to gather moisture and her heart rate increased the longer her eyes were glued to all the photos of her crush surrounded in unlimited pink hearts. She had never clicked on Google Chrome fast enough. "Um…" She clicked a few times to pull up Netflix, keeping her back towards her partner. It was all she could do to calm down from her mini panic attack. "Wha...what…" Her foot tapped gently on her wooden floor. "W-What types of movies do you like?"

"Romance."

She could hear his smirk forming on his face, causing her to groan.

"What types of movies do you _actually_ like?"

Chat took a moment to respond and Marinette prepared for another joke.

"Anything I guess. Action, Adventure, Horror-"

"Please not horror!" Marinette cried out before she could stop herself. Her shoulders rose to her ears and she began shaking.

Chat Noir merely laughed. "We don't have to watch horror if you don't want to."

Marinette scoffed, a little chuckle emitting from her throat. "I mean… horror movies are… lame." She inwardly cringed. Chat Noir would never buy that. She was such a bad liar.

"Why don't you pick the movie?"

Her heartbeat lowered to a more manageable rhythm at the kindness in his words. His voice was calm and as smooth as glass.

"O-Oh." It was like a snap of her fingers and suddenly she was self conscious. What if he didn't like the movie she chose or thought it was lame? Those thoughts were drained from her mind as she squeezed her eyes tightly. Why should she care? This was Chat Noir! Not someone like Adrien!

A few scrolls down the movie selections and her body turned around to see Chat posed, sitting casually on her chaise. One leg crossed over the other and his arms were folded behind his neck. She almost lost her footing from his intense stare at her.

"Um," she began, practically forgetting what she was going to say. "How about this one?"

Chat Noir sat up, studying the movie that was highlighted. He hummed. "Back to the Future?"

Marinette's mouth opened up as she began to briefly explain the plot of the movie but Chat hushed her, smiling at her in approval. "I've never seen this one before," he admitted, folding his legs criss-crossed. "But people say it's good."

Marinette grinned. "It is good. It's about time travel so if you're into that kind of thing, you'll like it."

Fluffy blankets were thrown on top of Chat Noir. He watched Marinette gather some pillows as well before throwing another blanket on top of him. "I think we have plenty of blankets," he joked, smirking at her.

Marinette tossed a pillow that would have hit him square in the face if it weren't for his quick superhero reflexes.

The lights were turned off and Marinette swiftly pressed play. She found a comfortable seat on her chaise but took great care in keeping a nice space in between the two of them. Chat didn't seem to notice. His focus was on the screen.

Flashing lights reflected off the pair's faces as they stared in bewilderment at the computer in front of them. The movie kept Marinette's attention for a good half hour. She found herself laughing multiple times throughout. She forgot how great this movie was!

Her mind was pulled from the plot as the feeling of someone staring at her burned. She turned her head.

"What?"

Chat grinned from ear to ear. "Snack break?"

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. "Now? But the movie just started."

The toothy grin continued as she rolled her eyes back. "Fine, what would you like?"

Chat hummed in thought. "Popcorn?"

"Popcorn?" Marinette chuckled, smirking at the boy. "Just lame old popcorn?" She gave him a playful shove in the shoulder. "That's not like you, Chat Noir."

His leg casually crossed the other and flexed his fingers. "Popcorn is the classic sleepover snack, is it not?"

There was the word again. Marinette's voice faltered as her eyes averted his gaze. He didn't think this was a… sleepover… did he?

"I… I guess!" She forced a smile through her teeth and stood up. "I'll make us some popcorn then." Her eyes did not leave Chat as she took a few steps towards her trapdoor. Her lips smushed together. "Just uh, stay there and I'll be back very soon!" she instructed, opening up the door. She'd personally kill that cat if he snooped around her room. She'd just have to be quick!

Marinette hurried as fast as she could, wiggling back and forth on the spot. The microwave was so slow! To her relief, the popcorn began popping in no time.

"Marinette?"

She whipped her head around and it hit her. She was supposed to be in bed. "Oh, uh, hi Mom!"

"I thought you were going to bed?" Sabine questioned, watching the popcorn bag inflate.

"Oh, right." Marinette let out a nervous giggle and tugged on one of her pigtails. "I just got um… hungry! So I decided to make popcorn."

Sabine smiled, placing a mixing bowl down on the kitchen counter. "Alright but make sure you brush your teeth again after."

Marinette nodded, feeling her cheeks warm up from her attempt at lying. "Got it Mom!"

The microwave beeped and ever so carefully, the popcorn bag was torn open. The smell of buttery goodness wafted into the air as the puffed pieces were poured into a large pink bowl.

Marinette kissed her Mom on the cheek and raced back upstairs before Chat Noir could do any more snooping.

Slamming the trapdoor against the wood flooring again, Marinette skipped a few steps and practically jumped into her room.

"Chat Noir!"

The sheer volume of her voice must have made him jump, because Chat flew a few feet into the air before landing back down on her chaise. "Marinette!" He hopped to his feet in alarm. "Is everything alright?"

Her heart began to settle down at the realization that the entire time, Chat hadn't even moved from his spot. A large breath flew through her lips. "Sorry yeah, everything's fine."

"Okay…" His tone indicated that he didn't really believe her but nevertheless leaned back into his original spot, eyes sparkling at Marinette's hands as she took her seat back.

Marinette watched as Chat Noir tipped his head back, sniffing the air a few times. With a chuckle, she passed the bowl to him and a large clawed hand scooped up the buttery pieces the second the bowl touched the chaise. Marinette wasn't necessarily hungry but it was clear that someone else was. Her eyes watched from the side as Chat Noir politely held the food in his hand and placed it in his mouth, piece by piece. Her mouth parted slightly in surprise by her partner's manners. She half expected him to shovel it in.

The movie resumed playing and the pair both concentrated on what was in front of them. They sat still, fully enjoying the movie. Marinette didn't hold back and openly laughed at various scenes while Chat remained quiet, simply observing.

He dug his paw into the bowl to only come in contact with the plastic of the bowl. With a slight disappointed frown on his face, he retracted his hand, bumping into something slightly warmer.

A quiet gasp shook him out of his own shock. "Sorry Marinette!" he cried out. "I hope I didn't get butter all over your hand!"

She simply leaned forward to grab a tissue to wipe the side of her hand with. "It's all good, Chat Noir." She took a seat back to his smirking face. Marinette scoffed, curious to what the cat was up to. "What?"

"I_ butter_ not get anymore on you."

A large snort came from her as she placed a hand over her lips to quiet down. "Why Chat Noir?"

"What?" he smirked. "Are you afraid I'll_ churn_ some more?" He snickered to himself as a pillow hit him softly in the face.

"You're going to kill me one day," Marinette stated, rolling her eyes but also smiling a little. Her head turned back to face the screen but Chat's voice rang in her ear.

"Do you think I need to think of some _butter_ puns?"

"Chat Noir, I swear!" Marinette yelled out, half laughing.

He joined in with her and then the two focused back on the movie.

Marinette felt her eyes gain massive weight but she forced them open. There was no way she'd fall asleep while Chat Noir, of all people, was in her room! Keeping her eyes on the characters in the movie, Marinette swiped her hand back into the popcorn bowl, only to remove it in disappointment. She didn't realize the bowl was already empty. Someone must have been hungry!

She glanced at her partner. He was fully immersed in the movie with his mouth dangling open. The sight caused her to emit a tiny giggle. At least he was enjoying the movie she chose! Marinette recognized the scene they were on. They had at least a half an hour left to go. Then what would they do? The rain could still be heard tapping on her skylight glass. She couldn't force him out there! A small yawn emitted from her mouth. It was no secret that her body was shutting down. She hoped the rain would let up soon.

Her body shook as if she were falling. A sharp exclamation exited Marinette as her body twitched in recovery. It took three long breaths to relax and awaken enough to move. Using her hands as leverage to push herself up, Chat's smile greeted her.

"Well hello, Sleeping Beauty."

Slowly, she blinked a couple of times to clear her blurry vision. Her eyebrows scrunched in thought as she tried to remember where she was, what time it was and what was going on.

"Chat Noir…?"

"Yes?" He was looking down at her now.

Marinette remained where she was and clenched the blanket that somehow found itself on top of her. It was as if her memories slapped her in the face. She had fallen asleep… with Chat Noir in her room. A large lump formed in her throat. He was sitting next to her, in the dark, all alone.

Her stomach twisted and no matter how hard Marinette pushed for words to come, she couldn't get anything out. She merely froze in place, hair sticking out in all directions.

The movie that was playing was definitely not the one they had watched earlier. Her computer screen was shining in her eyes as she tore them away and focused on her partner.

Chat Noir let out a small laugh. "Looks like it's someone's bedtime."

Marinette shot him a teasingly dirty look and buried herself in the fluffy blanket around her. The fabric kissed her chin and she knew she had to go to bed properly.

Whatever was playing on the computer was set on pause and Chat Noir climbed to his feet. A tiny squeak was heard as he stretched his arms up to the ceiling. His arms lowered back down to his sides. His eyes landed on Marinette and he chuckled. "That's a sign that it's time for this cat to bid adieu."

Marinette closed her mouth, finishing up a yawn. Part of her felt bad for basically kicking Chat Noir out but the other part was screaming at her to get to bed. "Is it still raining?"

Chat lifted his head and leaned to look through her skylight. "Yes." He turned to her, raising his paws up. "Don't worry, you've kept me protected for long enough." A hand was held out to her and Marinette took it, not fully realizing what she was doing.

Her feet worked without her consent and before she knew it, her body landed on a soft surface. She looked up to see Chat Noir standing on her bed, hovering above her. His hand rested on her skylight.

"Thank you for having me over," he said and Marinette could hear the genuine gratitude in his voice. It didn't fail to have its effect and it warmed her heart almost instantly. It wasn't often that she got to experience Chat Noir's softer side.

"I had a lot of fun!" He grinned with his tail gently twisting back and forth.

Marinette squeaked out another yawn and nodded in agreement. "Me too, Chat Noir."

Chat Noir chuckled and shifted his weight to the very edge of the bed. "Goodnight Mari-"

A large boom echoed the room, causing Marinette to shrink down under the covers and yelp.

"You okay?"

She inwardly cringed. He had heard her. She merely nodded. "Y-Yeah, I just got a little scared is-"

Another crack of thunder pierced the sky and generated the same response from the pigtailed girl, except this time, her face was buried underneath the comforter. Her eyes were squeezed tightly as her chest raised up and lowered back down. Large puffs of breath were sent through her lips and her tightened muscles slowly loosened with each breath.

"Hey."

A gasp stuck itself in Marinette's throat the second the covers were lifted off her head. Green eyes met hers and the gentle smile on his face was nothing to be ignored.

"It's okay," he whispered, keeping himself perfectly squatted on her bed. "Thunder can't hurt you."

Marinette was not in the mood to be lectured by her egotistical partner. "I know that." Her voice was laced with more sass than she meant to express. With a flip of position, her back was now facing him. She hoped he would catch the message and find his way out. "Goodnight Chat Noir."

A whimper escaped her throat and she curled in on herself at the next blast of thunder. Her entire body broke out into mini shakes but her breath was different. It caught in her throat at the feeling of slow movement on the bed. It definitely did not feel like he was hopping through the skylight. Marinette laid still, not daring to move. Weight was placed nearest to her hip but she remained under the covers.

All movement stopped and she waited for further motion. Maybe he did leave after all?

She twitched at the feeling of a soft and warm hand as it found a home for itself on her side. It was on top of the blanket but she could feel the heat radiating off it. Her mouth opened to speak but closed itself without a sound escaping.

The storm outside was not letting up and it barely gave Marinette any time to react to her partner's actions. She dug herself deeper beneath the layers of bedding due to larger and sharper rumble. The thunder booms were occurring faster and Marinette knew that it was going to be a long night without sleep.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her pigtails being played with. Her eyes bolted open and she scooted away from the seemingly curious cat.

"C-Ch-Chat Noir…?" She silently cursed her stuttering.

"Yes," he murmured. His voice sounded as if he were above her but she wouldn't dare look. "I'm here."

"Why are-eee!" Her question turned into more of a shriek as all confusing thoughts emptied from her head. The next burst of thunder echoed her room much louder than the rest and Marinette could feel her eyes getting wet. Her heart pounded in nervousness once one warm hand smoothly held onto the sides of her arm. The girl's body stiffened once her back was cautiously pressed up against her partner. She couldn't tell what part of his body she was now touching but touching any part of his body was too inappropriate.

His grip on her tightened the minute she attempted to escape. "It's okay, Marinette." His warm breath tickled the back of her neck. "You're safe."

Goosebumps travelled up her arms and back down to her toes. She did not like this! Marinette Dupain-Cheng was being held by none other than Chat Noir. That could not happen! Not as Ladybug _or_ as her civilian self! The warmth Marinette was feeling from her partner kept her in high alert. Chat Noir was a flirt, that much was obvious, but she had never expected him to flirt with both sides of her. She also never expected him to get this touchy either!

The thunder was not kind. It did not give herself much time to converse with her inner thoughts and figure out what on earth was going on with Chat Noir. Marinette felt her body betray her the longer she stayed there. She shivered at his touch and curled into a crescent shape. She wanted to pull away. They were in bed together… in HER bed for goodness sakes! That was not allowed in no shape or form!

"Chat Noir," she managed to let out as a whisper. "You can… go home n-"

She heard him shush her calmly.

"It's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed."

She merely scoffed in response. "I'm not embarrassed." She kept quiet, listening to his breathing in an attempt to figure out his next move.

The pair stilled and the pitter patter of the rain pelted against the glass. Marinette was far too busy focusing on trying to keep Chat Noir at a distance to listen to whether the rain had stopped or not. She gave it another go to scoot further away from him. Her head hit against something hard and her insides squirmed. It was no use. She was pinned between Chat Noir's body and the wall. Her breathing slowly began flowing with a larger intensity and Marinette was sure he could hear her.

"Chat Noir…" Her voice was dripping with concern. "I… I…" She froze and stopped what would have been nervous rambling when Chat Noir spoke.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Marinette gulped, unsure of how to respond. Her mind was saying no but her body was saying yes. She couldn't read his tone either. He didn't sound either mad or sad.

"I… well… y-yeah…"

She heard the grin on his face form into his infamous smirk as his hands firmed their grip on her arm and side. "I don't think you do."

* * *

**A/N: New story! It's been a while since I've posted something so I hope you all like it! More to come! Gotta love some Marichat!**


	2. Silly Alley Chat

Her eyes widened as she swallowed a large lump. Soon her body was shaking once more but this time it wasn't from the thunder. This was Chat Noir! What was so worrisome about it? An intense breath slipped past her lips. Was it hot in there or was it just her? Marinette focused solely on her breathing and trying not to show how uncomfortable she was. She did her best to ignore how her skin tingled from his touch and was disgusted with how much of a traitor her body was to her rules about her partner.

Several minutes passed and to her luck, the thunder seemed to have moved and was now nothing more but a light rumble in the distance. Her adrenaline boosted. Did this mean that it was okay for Chat Noir to go home? She wiggled. "Chat Noir?"

She felt him twist and grab onto her, pushing his body even closer against her back. That movement alone knocked the breath out of Marinette and she gasped at the sound that was buzzing in her ear. "C-Chat Noir?"

His fingers loosened their pressure but remained where they were. Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Was he… purring? The last time she had heard him purr was when they were defeating Prime Queen. That was quite a while ago so she wasn't certain that's what he was doing now. But… it really sounded like it. She did her best to turn her head to see him but it was practically impossible to move. Chat was nothing but dead weight. Defeated, Marinette turned back to face the wall. The scent of fresh linen filled her nostrils and set her heart aflutter. It smelled enticing and almost strangely familiar. Marinette screamed at her brain to shut up and shook her head fiercely.

"Chat Noir?"

With his still body and with him not responding, it was safe to assume he was sleeping. After all, he would have made some sort of comment by now. He was not one to remain silent. The very thought of Chat Noir sleeping beside her sent various thoughts flying through her head.

"Tikki…?" she whispered in desperation.

It took a few seconds for her kwami to answer. "Yes…?" The voice sounded like it came from behind her giant cat pillow.

Marinette swallowed hard and clenched her hands, fisting the fabric of her comforter. Her eyes squeezed closed. "I…"

"Is everything okay?" Tikki remained in her position to stay out of sight but peeked her head out to see the position Marinette had gotten herself into.

"I…" Marinette sniffed. "I don't…"

Tikki waited patiently for her chosen to gather the words. Worry filled her stomach with the long silence. "...Marinette?"

"Tikki…" Marinette let out a sad sigh that sounded like a small chuckle. "Why… why do I… like this…?"

Tikki's voice faltered. "Why do you like what?"

Marinette bit her lip, unable to say anything. This was not supposed to be happening and she cursed herself for it. "...This."

"With Chat Noir?"

Marinette cringed and clenched her teeth together. "Don't… don't say his name."

Tikki giggled as quietly as she could. "Chat Noir isn't as bad as you think he is."

"Tikki, this is not happening right now," Marinette stated. She knew wriggling free was the smart thing to do but… she didn't want to and that alone was terrifying.

Her kwami could sense how stressed the girl was and she smiled softly. "Don't worry so much about it. Just enjoy the kitty cuddles."

"We are not cuddling!" Marinette whispered loudly, almost offended that Tikki would even claim such a thing. Her mouth then clamped shut. Her kwami was right. Cuddling is exactly what they were doing. A hand found its way on top of her lips. "Tikki…"

Tikki flew over carefully and laid next to her chosen's face. "Marinette, everything's okay."

"But I love Adrien!" Marinette exclaimed a little too loudly. "I don't have feelings for Chat Noir. So why am I feeling this!?"

Tikki shushed her to avoid waking the sleepy cat. She slowly wiped a stray tear from the young girl's cheek. "If it were me, I'm guessing that you're loving the close contact."

Marinette thought about it for a moment. It was true that she had never had a boyfriend before and being close with a guy like this was a new experience. Maybe Tikki was right and she was just enjoying being this close to a boy for the first time. "Maybe…"

Tikki flashed her a soft smile. "I'm sure that's all it is Marinette."

Marinette was silent for a moment and her eyes looked down at the blankets. Fingers intertwined with each other and locked in the comforter. "I want to do this with Adrien…"

A giggle emitted from Tikki's mouth. "I know you do."

Marinette shook her head and pushed harder against the sleeping Chat Noir in order to break free. "I can't do this. I can't do this right now."

Her thoughts were broken up when her arm and side were tightly grasped. She jumped but stilled while her mind was swirling.

"Ladybug…"

Marinette's mouth opened but no sound came out. She felt her partner twitching against her as a tiny whimper escaped his throat.

"M'Lady…"

The two girls gasped.

Chat whined and twitched harder. "Not her… not her!"

"He's dreaming!" Tikki whispered, ducking behind the giant cat pillow.

Marinette felt his claws gently dig into her side as the whining grew in volume. "Chat Noir!" She began wiggling her own body to hit against him. "Wake up, you're dreaming!"

His fingers dug into her harder. "Stop it! Stop, stop hurting her!"

"Chat Noir!" Marinette rammed into him and the warmth against her back was removed. She quickly rolled over to see if he was alright. He was sitting up, panting and running his hands through his hair.

Marinette sat up but stayed put and waited for him to come back to reality to avoid shocking him. She flashed him a sweet smile when their eyes met and she could tell he was still confused on where he was. "Are you okay Chat Noir?"

"Thank you for your hospitality, Princess," Chat said suddenly, still gathering control on his breath. He stood to his feet, wobbling a bit from just having woken up. "But I must go. I just realized I have something to do."

"Now?" Marinette tilted her head in concern. "It's night."

"Y-Yeah." He edged his way towards her skylight, almost hopping impatiently on the spot. "I have something to check on." A hand was placed on top, flipping it open. He took a nice bow. "Til we meet again." A beep emitted from his staff and up he went into the sky.

All Marinette could do was look up in wonder. "Tikki…?"

Tikki yawned but flew up over the cat pillow. "Yes?"

"Did you see that? That was weird…" A finger was placed on her chin as she thought about what Chat Noir was so in a rush about.

Tikki merely shrugged.

Maybe he realized he was cuddling with her and was disgusted like she was? Marinette lowered her eyes at her brain telling her that she was not disgusted. A loud gasp filled the room out of nowhere as realization hit her. "Tikki!" A sweet smile was sent to her kwami. "Looks like we need to follow him."

"Huh?..." The tired kwami questioned, voice growing slower as the seconds passed on by. "But it's really late and you have school." Her tiny head tilted to the side as she watched her chosen's smile on her face grow.

"Tikki, spots on!"

The cold breeze felt nice on Ladybug's cheeks as she whooshed through the night sky. The city was always bathed in twinkling lights at this time of night and even though she had a mission to complete, Ladybug couldn't help but get a tad distracted by admiring them.

She snapped out of her thoughts and nodded firmly. Chat Noir had to be found. That is… if she was right in her guess. Landing on a roof, Ladybug slid a hand up to her forehead and peered out across the rooftops. No sight of that black cat. At least, not yet. She helped herself to a seat and allowed her legs to stretch out. Cold dampness of the shingles could be felt on her body as it stayed in contact with the roof but Ladybug didn't care. She needed to do this. The chill air was definitely not as comforting as the position she was last in but that's how things had to be right now. She could not have her partner wandering outside having a conniption fit all night all because of a nightmare.

Her feet ticked back and forth in rhythm; her body sinking onto her forearms as she leaned back further lowering herself into the wetness. It had just finished raining barely an hour ago but it had turned into a very starry night and many constellations sparkled, clear as day.

Small, sort whistles echoed into the air as Ladybug's feet continued rocking from side to side. Her mind wandered as she lay and images of all sorts of things popped into her head. That darn essay that was almost complete, the swimming date she had with Alya in two days and the movie night on the weekend with Alya, Nino and… Adrien.

Adrien…

She bit back a shy smile at the mere thought of that handsome boy. What was he doing right now? She chuckled and rolled her eyes at herself. He was most definitely sleeping. After all it was probably at least midnight.

"LADYBUG!"

The girl jumped up in position, bending her knees and swirling her yo-yo. An akuma!? Her eyes scattered around in search of trouble or at least of who shouted her name. A thump came from behind her but before she could react, nicely toned arms were wrapped around her core.

Ladybug let out a shout and lowered her arms to rip off the offender. Her body tensed up at the feeling of shaggy hair brushing onto her neck. Reminders of those earlier moments with Chat crossed her mind and she shook them off, gritting her teeth.

"I'm SO glad you're okay!"

Turning her head to the side, sunshine coloured locks filled her bluebell eyes. A satisfied smile found its way onto the superhero's face as she melted into his hug. Her partner's claws dug deeper into her arms but they didn't puncture any skin. He was always so gentle with her.

Ladybug's body worked on its own again. She found herself hugging the cat back. The familiar scent of fresh linen rang in her head and her body found it hard to pull away. Chat Noir didn't move but instead burrowed his head deeper in the crook of her neck. Ladybug shivered at the steamy temperature of his breath as it softly kissed under her shoulder.

"I thought I lost you…"

The hug became tighter at those words and even Ladybug grasped him harder. Gentle words automatically escaped her lips.

"You're never going to lose me, Kitty."

The boy lifted his head to meet her gaze. Emerald green eyes met sapphire blue ones. His mouth curled up on the left side slightly as he gazed at her. "I hope I can have you forever."

Ladybug simply snorted, not taking his words as seriously as he most likely meant them to be. She left his embrace but her body, however, was screaming at her to remain where she was. "You're so silly Chat Noir."

The cat smirked, shoulders relaxing. The smirk was quickly erased with a serious expression as he pressed his lips together. A shaky hand snaked its way behind his neck. "I'm… I'm sorry for all this." A nervous laugh escaped his mouth as his eyes darted from hers to the ground and back up. "I just… needed to check."

"Check?"

Ladybug knew what he meant but wanted to further confirm her thoughts.

"Check," Chat said, slowly lowering his arm to his side once more. His tail twitched from side to side. "It… it was…" His mouth clamped shut, face flushing from embarrassment. "Oh, never mind. It's stupid." His hand fluttered in the air. "I'll let you rest and continue to enjoy this beautiful night." His feet took a few steps towards the rooftop edge.

"Wait, Chat," Ladybug held out a hand and thanked him internally when he stopped moving. A sweet smile was sent to him. "Everything's okay."

Chat Noir's smile took a few seconds longer to grow than Ladybug's did but it eventually fell into place. "I know." Ladybug swore she saw his body edge forward but Chat remained standing a good distance apart from her. "I'm happy."

Several thoughts from earlier played in her head. She growled at her gross 'cuddly' thoughts. Suddenly grabbing Chat Noir into a hug was not on her to do list. "I'm glad," Ladybug said, forcing her body to stay where it was. What was with her tonight!?

"Well, I won't keep you up any longer." Chat bowed with a large swipe of his arm. "Til we meet again, M'Lady."

"Goodnight Chat Noir." She watched her partner soar away into the night sky like a helicopter. A large breath exited her lungs and flew through the humid air. With the way her brain was thinking right now, he needed to be gone. She couldn't have handled herself properly with him around.

"What's wrong with me…?" she whispered to herself, gazing down to study her two hands. Palms were facing upward before curling in on themselves. A large laugh echoed into the city. "I don't like him like that. Why am I even considering such a thing?" Ladybug chewed her lip as her feet splashed along the roof. "So a guy cuddles you once and you're smitten?" She shook her head to help clear her conflicting thoughts. "He's just a silly alley cat." Her fingers snapped, head shooting upright.

"I know what to do!"

* * *

**Thanks for reading and for all the support from the first chapter! Hopefully this one quenches your thirst for now! **


	3. Peeping Tom Ladybug

Landing in a tree in order to spy outside your crush's window was definitely not something Ladybug ever saw herself doing. She knew Tikki was going to let her have it when she eventually made it home.

"He's awake!" She gasped in delight when she saw his bedroom light on, illuminating his entire room for the streets of Paris to see. Her mouth opened in awe as he paced back and forth. She furrowed her eyebrows. It was late. Why was he still up? In his hands, she noticed an item that eventually slid its way into his mouth.

She had to get closer.

With a swing of her yo-yo, it wrapped itself around the edge of the roof above his bedroom. Ladybug slid down the string like she was Spider-Man and hung there while curling her legs in close to her body. She couldn't be seen by him! That would be a total disaster!

Soft mumbling could be heard from inside the room but his windows were shut so it was impossible to make out. With a careful tilt of her head, Ladybug leaned left to see what was going on. At the sight of Adrien, she let out a soft yelp and jerked her head back away from the window. Cheeks darkened as her palms began to sweat. She caught him changing!

Her chest was pounding and she carefully leaned back to see.

With a toothbrush in his mouth, Adrien slipped a black pajama t-shirt over his head and Ladybug almost fell from her current position. The way the sleeves gripped his toned arms… she couldn't stop looking.

"EEP!"

The slightest glance at the top of his boxers was enough to cause her to lose her balance as she pulled away, eyes squeezed shut. She wiggled on her yo-yo but her hot hands failed her as they slipped. Ladybug spiraled down towards the ground but shot out her yo-yo again to connect to the nearest sturdy surface. Her face paused a few feet from the ground and she breathed out, purely in shock from what she had just seen. Sure she hadn't seen all that much but Adrien… his boxers… the colour…

"I need a cold shower!" Ladybug wiped the sweat from her forehead and lowered down until her padded feet touched the ground. She hadn't meant to see Adrien change! The colour of her cheeks argued otherwise but she swung her yo-yo in the direction of her home. How was she to face Adrien at school now that she knew that he had _Ladybug_ themed boxers!? _Why_ did he have them at all!?

The minute she transformed back, Marinette landed on her bed as her back sunk into the mattress after a few bounces. Her cheeks had not returned to their normal colour yet and her chest still heaved. Eyes full of guilt met a rather cross looking kwami.

Marinette hesitated. "I… uh…" She awkwardly giggled as Tikki's eyes lowered further. "W-What…?"

"You peeked through his window," Tikki stated, dumbfounded.

"...And…?"

"Marinette," Tikki said firmly, tiny arms crossed.

"Okay it was bad!" The girl admitted, sitting upright. "But I had to!"

"You _had_ to?" Tikki's eyebrow raised in disbelief as Marinette waved her arms in the air.

"Yes!" she cried out in desperation. "It was a severe situation!"

"Severe enough you'd risk getting caught by either Adrien or another person?" Tikki raised both eyebrows. Her mouth closed as she watched her chosen wave her arms back and forth in an attempt to defend herself. All the little kwami could do was sigh in hopelessness and shake her head. "I think you need to go to bed." She curled in her usual spot behind the giant cat pillow. "Sleep is good for clearing your mind."

Marinette fanned her face. "I'm going to have a quick shower first. It's really hot in here!" Grabbing a towel, she dashed towards her bathroom in hopes to rinse off the sinful thing her eyes had seen.

Clothes were quickly shed and she tiptoed in. The second the curtain slid behind her, ice cold water splashed, covering her body. With a yelp, her hand reached for the tap to raise the temperature a smidge. Satisfied, Marinette sighed, fully relaxing. The water slid down her skin, coating her body entirely. Within just seconds of being in the refreshing water, her internal body temperature began returning to normal. Marinette sucked in a breath and stood, leaning her head back. Water danced across her face and the horrible feelings were quickly washed away.

Until she turned off the faucet.

A towel patted her face and she stopped all movements while her mind filled back up with all those horrible nagging thoughts. It was as if the cold water was her guard. Without it, she was back to where she first started.

"Stupid," she murmured, squeezing the water out of her hair with the towel for a second time that night. Her fingers squeezed tightly as a shadow of familiar cat ears poured into her mind. Soon the towel was wrapped around her chest with her palms resting against the counter. Peering at herself in the mirror, Marinette glared at her reflection.

"Starting now, no more thoughts of… you know who."

After scolding herself, she nodded and grabbed a hairbrush. As it slowly worked its magic through her soggy strands, her mind welcomed many thoughts of Adrien. It was fine until a reminder of his… undergarments appeared. She dropped her brush and with a bang, it fell into the sink. Her hands ran down her face before she yanked open a drawer in annoyance to retrieve her two hair elastics. With the flick of the last elastic, her hair was now out of her face.

She sighed. "I hope I feel better tomorrow morning…"

* * *

Marinette awoke the next morning in a frazzled mess.

"Why didn't my alarm go off!?" she exclaimed, buttoning up her pink capris. Her breathing was heightened but she remained still as Tikki completed her pigtails for her.

"It went off for a good half an hour," Tikki stated, tugging one of the pigtails snug. "I tried to wake you. I'm surprised your parents didn't come up to check on you."

All Marinette could do was groan, slipping her backpack onto her back. "Come on Tikki, I can't be late!" Her hands opened her purse to allow the red kwami inside.

"Hi Mom! Hi Papa!" Marinette quickly yelled. Her footing was almost lost as she trudged down the steps but she managed to land on the main level of the bakery with no falls. Quick cheek kisses were exchanged and a warm pastry rested in Marinette's hands.

"Have a great day at school Sweetie!" Sabine called out with a warm smile across her face.

"I will Mom!" Marinette cried out, slamming open the bakery door. "Bye!"

Panting and panting, she charged through the city sidewalks until the large building was in view. Pushing her body harder, she bumped through her school's doors and beelined it for homeroom. The bell she was so used to hearing everyday rang throughout her ears the second she stepped foot into the classroom.

Not even focusing on her surroundings but instead of the fact that she made it on time, Marinette keeled over, almost blowing out a lung. She felt her entire body burning from the workout it was just given but was relieved she wasn't late.

After taking a few seconds to get control of herself, her spine straightened back up. To her surprise, the classroom was buzzing louder than normal and everyone was huddled around Alya's desk.

Curious, Marinette took a few steps over. What was the commotion about? A few kids were blocking her seat so she did her best to hover over top of the crowd. "What's going on?"

Kim and Max shifted to kindly allow her to enter the circle.

"Hey Marinette! You gotta check this out!" Kim exclaimed, pointing a finger over to Alya.

Marinette's nose scrunched as she squinted her eyes tightly. Alya's phone screen was too small to read. "What is it?"

"GIRL!" Alya stood up, practically knocking down a couple of their classmates. "I texted you this morning! Isn't it CRAZY!?"

That was when her pulse began activating. She had been in too much of a rush to check her phone like she normally did in the morning.

"Sorry Alya," the girl said. "I was in a rush so I didn't check my phone. What's going on?"

"OH! So you DON'T KNOW!?"

Alya was screaming. It had to be big.

"Just tell me!" Marinette clapped her hands together impatiently. It was becoming too much.

"LOOK. JUST LOOK." Alya held out her phone with a large picture on it.

The now cold croissant that was supposed to be Marinette's breakfast suffered a terrible death when it met the floor. Her eyes darted the article title. The photo was dark but the content in it was as clear as day.

"Crazy or WHAT!?"

Marinette didn't move. She couldn't breathe. She lost all colour from her face.

Ladybug was in the news.

Marinette reread the title once more with feelings of nausea drifting up into the back of her throat.

_Peeping Tom Ladybug._

There she was, practically hanging upside down in front of Adrien's window just like she had been last night. Someone had caught her. It hadn't been that late out but it certainly wasn't before midnight. Adrien couldn't be seen through the window but it was painfully obvious as to who's window she was in front of.

Taking some footsteps backwards, Marinette felt her entire world go blurry. Her body rocking back and forth.

"Who knew that Ladybug had the hots for Adrien!" Kim grinned, holding back a laugh.

"There is a 94% chance that she in fact does!" Max stated, typing on his calculator, showing everyone his study results.

Alya must have noticed Marinette's stunned reaction. "Girl? You okay?"

Marinette's breathing deepened to a point where it hurt to breathe. "I.."

A look of sympathy crossed her best friend's face. "Hey, it'll be okay. It's not like they're dating or something…" Her facial expression changed as her mouth widened. "What if they are and Adrien isn't telling us!?"

Nino scoffed, hands on his hips. "Yeah, as if! My best bud would tell me everything! Especially something as big as dating a superhero!"

Marinette could finally find her voice. The entire classroom and who was all in it faded into the background as her mind did its best to straighten out. "A-Alya…?"

"Yes girl?"

"Did you… post it to The Ladyblog…?" Marinette asked even though it was already too late. If the Ladyblog didn't post it, the photo would surely spread like wildfire.

"Of course!" Alya's grin showed everything but mercy. "One of my readers sent the picture to me. It's too juicy not to post!"

"I… I need to go to the bathroom!" Marinette stuttered and shoved past the crowd of classmates. Her legs had lost feeling minutes ago and it was a miracle to how she even managed to speed walk through the halls. Reaching an arm out, the door to the women's washroom flew open so fast that it hit the brick wall.

With a thud, Marinette slumped onto the toilet with the lid closed. Her fingers flew across her phone's keyboard and within seconds, the dreaded article appeared on the screen. The pain entered her chest and tried to constrict her.

A little voice was heard by the corner of her face. "This is-"

"I don't want to hear it Tikki," Marinette grumbled, eyes not leaving the screen as they skimmed the article in its entirety.

"Marinette, I'm not going to lecture you," Tikki said in a gentle tone but her chosen was having none of it.

_Ladybug caught spying on the famous Adrien Agreste!_

_Does Paris' superhero have a crush on the famous fashion model? _

Silent tears fought their way through and dripped onto Marinette's pink capris as she stared mouth wide at the photo.

Tikki cast a worried glance at her chosen's stiff body. The painful silence in the stall was enough to concern the kwami. "Marinette?"

The girl shook her head without saying a word. Her pigtails swayed from side to side before gently resting against her neck. "Wha-" She cleared her cracking voice. "What do I do…?" With a sniff, Marinette wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I messed _everything_ up!"

A tiny paw rubbed the upset girl's upper back. "Everyone makes mistakes. Let's just think this one-"

"Now everyone thinks Ladybug is some, some creep!" Marinette cried out in exasperation. "And now _Adrien_ thinks that too!"

Tikki flew to face Marinette. "I don't think Adrien thinks badly of Ladybug." She floated in midair, paws on her hips. "He's probably surprised, sure, but…" She trailed off at the look of Marinette's face.

"I've ruined my chances with Adrien!" Hands flew up to her cheeks as she continued her panicked rant. "If he ever found out my identity, he'd officially never speak to me again!"

"Mari-"

"And how am I supposed to go out now as Ladybug and protect Paris? Everyone will laugh at me and talk about how much of a stalker I am!"

The more she spilled, the louder her voice became and soon she was basically yelling.

"I've ruined Ladybug's reputation! I don't deserve to hold her miraculous anymore!"

"Marinette, _breathe_!"

The girl held her breath at first before letting go and reluctantly following her kwami's demand. Her chest heaved upwards and back down as the air exited her mouth.

"Please calm down!" Tikki pleaded. "We can't think straight if we panic."

Marinette did her best to do as she was told but her breath was shaking. Another breath was sucked into her lungs. "Tikki…" she whined pathetically. "Please help me..."

"Let's just go back to class for now before everyone wonders where you went," Tikki said with a hint of uneasiness in her voice. "We can talk about this later."

Marinette shook her head with a frown. "I can't! I feel like I'm going to throw up!"

A voice echoed within the washroom. "Marinette?"

In an instant, Marinette quieted down and inched Tikki back into her purse. She wiped her eyes on her shirt and swallowed, hoping her voice was clear enough. "Yeah?"

"Girl, is everything okay?" Alya asked from outside the stall. "You just vanished from class." Her best friend's shadow appeared from under the stall.

"Uhhhh yeah!" Marinette patted a piece of toilet paper under her nose to avoid it leaking. She'd have to blow it after Alya left to avoid suspicions. "I just had to use the bathroom really bad."

A laugh echoed the washroom and bounced off the walls. "I guess so! You raced out of there before I could say anything!"

Marinette faked out a laugh and shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, my stomach hasn't been good this morning…" Her voice trailed off, hoping her lie was good enough to satisfy her friend.

"Nino has some kombucha at his desk that I'm sure he'll let you have," Alya said. "Well, maybe take a few sips of." A chuckle escaped her throat. "He's been addicted to that stuff lately."

Marinette smiled at the kindness of her friend and at the fact that her lie had been believed.

Alya let out a giddy laugh. "I still can't believe that picture! I'm _dying_ to know what Adrien thinks about it!"

Marinette felt her heart drop to the floor at the mention of her crush's name. "He hasn't seen it?"

"Yeah, he has. His Dad kept him home for the day until the news dies down," Alya explained. The water at the sink ran for a few moments before turning off again. "So he doesn't get attacked or something."

Marinette could hear the paper towel dispenser being pulled on.

"Okay girl, I'll meet you in class!" Alya cried out. "I'll let Miss Bustier know you're having tummy troubles."

"Okay!" Marinette called back and waited until the washroom was in silence again. The piece of toilet paper she had been holding, tapped the bottom of her nose again and she gave a hard blow into it. With a loud, over dramatic sigh, she unlocked the stall and checked herself out in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy so she sprayed a few handfuls of water on her face to calm the swelling down.

With a silent prayer, Marinette hoped Hawkmoth would lay low, at least for today.

* * *

**I could not wait any longer. I had to post this. Oh god Marinette...what did you do!?**


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